Prospects don’t feel safe with sales people. Often for good reason – there are a lot of off-putting sales approaches out there. Here’s what you can do to be a trusted advisor.
Use a verbal agenda to create a safe space – especially discovery
It has four parts:
- Time check
- Permission to Learn
- Your POV
- Next step confirmation
It sounds like this:
[Time check] I appreciate you carving out some time to chat – I have 30 minutes booked on my calendar, does that still work for you?
[Permission to learn] The first thing I was hoping to do together was to learn what’s important to you by asking you some questions, would that be okay?
[Your POV – point of view] Obviously, I’m a huge fan of my product and its unique abilities, but it may not be right for you. So feel free to say no at any time – is that fair?
[Next step confirmation] Lastly, provided what we talk about today resonates with you, could we spend the last 5 minutes on a next step – does this seem like a good use of our time, and what would you add?
That’s it.
This creates safety. It puts people ease. And it creates an environment for a great conversation.
Hope this helps!